Liverpool journalist Emmet Gates reckons that Harvey Elliott was just beginning to find his feet before suffering a sickening injury at Leeds last month.
Following a tackle with Pascal Struijk, the teenager sustained a fractured ankle and is expected to be ruled out for the majority of the season.
Prior to the injury, Elliott had quickly become a regular in the Reds' first-team and was starting his third Premier League game on the bounce at Elland Road.
What did the stats say about Elliott?
His WhoScored rating of 6.59, which would be the fourth-worst in the Liverpool squad at present, doesn't exactly do him justice, Elliott was already showing signs that he's more than good enough to play at Premier League level despite this being his first full season.
His best rating came when he was marked a 6.94 against Burnley and although he wasn't able to directly contribute to either of the Reds' goals, he involved in the build-up for Sadio Mane's second and was only denied his top-flight assist when Mohamed Salah's shot was cleared off the line.
Even prior to his injury against Leeds, he had been heavily involved in Liverpool's dominant display against Marcelo Bielsa's team and was quickly making the right side his own at Anfield, keeping Roberto Firmino out of the XI.
What did Gates say about the injury?
He told GIVESPORT: "He was brought in after his loan spell at Blackburn and he was beginning to blossom on the right-side of midfield and then he suffered that horrible injury at Leeds, which has pretty much ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
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"At best, he might come back for the final couple of games."
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When could Elliott return from injury?
It's unclear exactly when the young winger will be fit enough to play again competitively, but the early signs are promising.
Since suffering the injury early last month, Elliott has been updating his progress on Instagram and has already videoed himself on an exercise bike before posting on his story another clip of walking himself around in a swimming pool on Wednesday.
Days after the injury, Liverpool's club doctor said that they weren't able to put a specific timescale on Elliott's return but were confident of him returning before the end of the 2021-2022 campaign.
Should that be the case, it'll be a massive boost for both club and player ahead of what is already shaping up to be an exciting season for the Reds.